Atrax
by HellsingDMC
Summary: After Joel promised Ellie there's more people immune like her, she finds out the truth about what happened at the Fireflies facility and runs away. Not only that; but Joel's outer shell is beginning to soften. As the infected continue to grow, will these two ever figure out each other's mixed emotions before the worst happens? Joel/Ellie *Feedback will be welcomed with open arms!:)
1. Chapter One: Liar

Atrax - The Last of Us

"So, are we just gonna sit around here all day or...?"

I kick an empty can that's lying on the cement floor, looking up at the two old farts that stand in the middle of the old, concrete warehouse, locked in a deep conversation.

After the whole hospital incident Joel decided we'd go back to Tommy's to stay there. Things are going well; I'm usually talking with other families whenever I'm not with Joel. I like him and all, but I can only stand being with him every so often.

"No, we'll go scavenging in a second. Tommy wanted to talk to me; alone." Joel dismisses me without any ease, emphasizing on the word 'alone' and shooing me out of the supply room while his little brother grins slyly.

"She's different from the other ones, I'll tell ya that." He stretches his back a little, a few cracking sounds can be heard while he relaxes again, standing in front of Joel.

_Different? Yeah, okay_.

"Yeah... Try taking her halfway across the damn country." Joel mutters, winking at me with a playful glint in his hazel eyes.

My heart thumps a little bit,

I stand there in disbelief, crossing my arms and sighing at him deeply. I made that journey memorable, and he knows it!

_Oh you prick._

I roll my eyes at him.

"Pfft, whatever, don't act like you didn't enjoy it." I head towards the metal door that leads outside, watching them carefully so I can hide beside the shelf, peeking over the stocked cans.

_Fuck that 'alone' shit, I wanna hear too!_

A lot happened since I met Joel; all of the Fireflies got wiped out which completely ruined Marlene's original plan. Eventually we managed to find the new research facility but when we got there I don't remember anything... Joel said they had tons of people immune like me, so they didn't have to take samples. He didn't tell me much, and every time I bring it up he ignores me or gets angry. I trust him with my life, so why would he lie to me?

I stare at the two of them far off in the distance, suddenly Joel turns around and stares directly at me; he knows me so well.

_Ah fuck..._

"Hey! Get out. Don't think I don't see you there." He hollers, walking towards me with a stern expression on his face.

My heart races faster.

The adrenaline begins to flow through my veins a little; it's exciting to piss him off.

I smirk, dashing away from the shelf and through the metal door. Pretending that I'm leaving, when in reality; why the fuck would I do that?

"Yeah, you better run." He mutters to himself, turning around and heading back to Tommy who flashes him a smirk, anger is visible through his eyes so it must be serious.

_I'm curious; obviously it's something important. Maybe we're short on supplies, or there's bandits running around, or maybe Marlene is coming back._

Whipping around, I catch the door before it fully closes, and I can hear their voices echoing off the huge warehouse's walls with such explosive tones.

"Well what the Hell was I supposed to do Tommy? By all means; tell me." Joel growls, getting fed up with his younger brother already.

"Oh! I don't know! Tell her the fuckin' truth?" Tommy reacts, agitated by Joel's words as he sharpens his knife against the stone on the workbench.

_The truth? He did tell me the truth though, didn't he?_

Intrigued, I sneak a little closer, hiding behind the fully stocked shelves in case I get caught. This happened fast, they were both content just a few minutes ago and now all of a sudden Tommy's at Joel's throat.

Joel paces around a little, listening to Tommy rant about their childhood and pre events that happened before the fungus mutated and started taking people's bodies, trying to bite his tongue so he doesn't snap at him.

_Man, no wonder he never mentioned Tommy's existence around me until the last minute..._

Joel never said he had a brother until we ran out of options, must have been some argument they had back then. Joel never spoke about it, it probably tore him apart.

I bite my lip, trying to hold back on saying things I'll regret before I get caught.

"That's wonderful Tommy, after all the shit I went through to keep us alive." Joel's clearly had enough, as he starts heading towards my direction to leave the room.

_No no no, shit. Go back!_

I silently plead, my heart picks up again watching his eyes glaze over where I am; not noticing me at all while he turns around again to face Tommy.

_Thank fucking god…_

A sigh of relief escapes from my lungs; that was a close one.

Tommy stops talking, hesitating a little bit while locking eyes with his older brother.

_And it was getting good too!_

I creep closer, stuffing myself into the tight places and still somehow manage to stay hidden by the massive shelves from the two so called "pros."

"Tell the fuckin' kid the goddamn truth." He simply states, looking Joel in the eye.

He avoids his gaze looking down at the ground, sighing a little.

"I can't. I just can't Tommy. I have no idea how she'll fuckin' react-"

"That's your fuckin' problem. You fuckin' said there were more people immune like her! The world could've been saved by now if that was the case! She's the only one Joel! She had to die-"

Those words pierce my heart fiercely, causing me to feel pain enough to burst into tears.

_Is Tommy right…? I have to die to save these people…?_

"Hey, don't you fuckin' say that." Joel glares at his little brother, while his expression grows as dark as the night. Tommy backs off a little, knowing he went a little too far this time.

_W-what...? I wasn't expecting that at all._

My eyes water a little, trying to hold back the tears that begin to overflow in a matter of seconds.

The pain tightens deeply between my lungs, almost causing me to hyperventilate.

_He... He lied to me...?_

Over the past year since I've known Joel he's never lied to me about something as serious as this, so why did he now?

_What was his reason to lie about this? What exactly happened back at the facility…?_

I accidentally knock over a couple cans while trying to turn around, giving away my position. Both of them reach for their guns instinctively before realizing it's just me.

_Fuck, it's too late now they see me._

"Shit. Ellie!" Joel's eyes widen while he starts heading towards me, slipping his gun back in the hostler while Tommy just looks the other way; knowing I heard every word they said to each other.

Would I even trust him again? _Could_ I even trust him again? I don't even know…

_I don't even know what to say either..._

"I fucking trusted you Joel!" Without even thinking the words escape my lips; piercing his heart almost as much as Tommy's words shattered mine.

"Ellie..." His eyes widen, showing a hint of sorrow, which is a major first for him.

The tears stream down my face even faster; I wipe my sleeve across my eyes before bolting out of the room, knocking over the rest of the neatly stacked pile of cans. Tommy looks guilty, aware that he shouldn't have said that too loud.

"Fuckin' wonderful, Tommy." I hear Joel mutter under his breath, as he heads toward the metal door, with Tommy right behind him.

_I fucking trusted him... I should've known it was too good to be true..._

"Ellie!" I hear Joel holler, the sound of shoes pounding against the concrete isn't far behind either. I really wish they'd give up.

_I need to get away... I need a place to think..._

My heart stings with a burning pain, the tears continue to glisten in the corner of my eyes and trickling down my cheeks as my feet pound against the dirt. While taking off down the trail outside of the safe zone Tommy created. The path leads into the dense forest where I ran to last time; hopefully I don't find any unwanted visitors this time.

The warm sun brightens the dark atmosphere this "new" world is now trapped inside of, while the thick brush and leaves block most of the light out completely. The birds chirp throughout the trees, while the trickling sound of water moving downhill catches my attention.

_The sound of the river flowing, there's a Ranch nearby where I ran to last fall. I think I still remember where it is..._

Blinded by tears, and clouded thoughts I run down the steep, rocky terrain that descends quickly; using the river as my guide.

I still can't shake the feeling I felt when I found out he lied, he means a lot to me and to suddenly have that destroyed by this? Why can't I stop crying, I'm not like this at all…

_I'm pretty sure there was a bandit camp nearby, at the bottom of this steep drop._

I don't really care at this point; I hope they moved on otherwise I'm fucked.

My heart pounds with a wildfire sensation, causing me to slow down a little with every step I take instead of throwing myself down the steep hill at full speed like I usually do.

"Ellie!" Off in the distance I can vaguely make out Joel's voice, shout a little louder why don't you? Attract some Clickers nearby and that'll help us out.

_I need to keep going… They're close…_

Gasping for breath, I push myself to my full speed; I'll do anything to escape the frantic shouts of Joel and Tommy as they try to chase after me down the steep, rocky incline.

_Of all the people who could lie to me, I would never expect Joel to be one of them. Yeah, he's done far_ _worse in his days; but lying to a fifteen year old about the cure? That's low._

I finally reach the end of the steep part, stopping for a minute and gasping for breath, looking around at the beautiful scenery. Enjoying how the sunlight flutters between the leaves of the trees and the sound of the birds almost makes me forget about the world's current state; infected.

_It's so calm, and peaceful. Hard to believe the world's gone to shit sometimes._

I smile to myself; the water that trickles down the side of the cave-like rocks and glistens from the light and leaves a small watering hole that's neatly tucked away from plain sight.

My eyes widen a tiny bit, I haven't had anything to drink today.

_It doesn't look dirty maybe I can drink some._

Crouching down near the edge of the water I scoop my hands in, bringing it to my mouth and drinking quickly. Constantly keeping an eye out for Joel and Tommy.

_I don't hear them at all; did they give up or get attacked? Wouldn't surprise me if they got attacked; with Joel hollering my name._

Glancing upwards a little I notice a small shadow that disappears by the edge of the huge, steep drop. Causing me to panic a little.

_Shit, what do I do now? It didn't look like Joel or Tommy, and if it were them they'd say something._

I reach for my knife that I usually keep by my side, only to find out that the one time I forget to take it; is when I need it the most.

_Are you fucking kidding me? Shit, Joel's gonna drill me for this too._

I sigh deeply; well this is just fucking great.

Standing up, I wipe my sleeve across my mouth and I start heading over towards the collapsed mossy tree that blocks the path to the Ranch.

There was a small camp when I charged through riding Callus down here. But so far all I see is old rusty empty cans rolling around in the wind, and a ripped, dirty tarp that's beyond repairing. No sign of anyone living in here luckily.

Faintly, I can hear someone shouting my name again from far away. Will he ever just give up?

Taking one last look behind me and shaking my head slowly, I crawl over the fallen mossy log that blocks the overgrown path between the two massive boulders, still hearing their shouts from far away.

_I really wish they'd give up. They're fucking nuts if they think I'll trust Joel again. Let alone go back there._

I deeply sigh, gasping for breath as I continue down the dirt road that has the Ranch in the far distance ahead, noticing some infected but they seem to be far off in the fields and don't really notice me at all.

The beautiful sunset slowly dips down into the horizon, splashing colours around with bright pink, purple and orange against the dark blue sky. The overgrown fenced in meadow lines the pathway towards the Ranch which seems empty up close, but far off into the distance, you can see slight movement.

_If I'm the cure then I have to die to save everyone. I'm not quite sure if I'm ready for that now…_

My feet crunch slightly against the crisp dirt road, keeping my eyes out for any visitors that could possibly kill me. The yelling stopped, which means they either gave up which is highly unlikely, or they were attacked. I hope they gave up.

I approach the entrance to the old, abandoned Ranch which seems to show no signs of life so far. The windows are boarded up so I can't really look inside; but judging from the amount of dust near the entrance I'd say there hasn't been anyone in here since I was in here last.

_I should double check just to make sure…_

Slowly peeking inside, I ignore the nagging feeling that keeps telling me I shouldn't be in here. The room is silent with an endless amount of dirt floating around the room through the sunlight beams that squeeze their way in through the broken wooden panels. The counter is completely covered in dust and a huge amount of dried blood. Judging by the smell someone must have died back there a long time ago. Wouldn't surprise me if the body's still there too…

"Creepy." I mutter to myself in the abandoned Ranch, walking slowly up the old, creaky steps towards the room I was in before.

_It looks okay; I don't hear any sign of anything._

The hallway looks pretty empty, bookshelves collapsed over time; the walls are starting to break away and crumble, you know, that decrepit state of old buildings and such when they haven't been used or renovated in years, it's a shame this had to happen to everyone… Maybe Tommy's right.

Tears sting the corner of my eyes again, the thought of me having to die to save everyone is tough; but who else is going to do it? A strange scent circulates throughout the entire building, causing me to hesitate greatly.

_There are spores in here, I think around the basement; if there's a basement._

I sniff the air; the spores have a weird fungal scent to them that smells rotten. Since I'm immune I can't really get sick. People that were first infected end up becoming spores and stuck to the walls, people infected over fifteen years ago become Bloaters, ten years is Clickers, and five years is Runners. And anything between now and five years are just crazy people with no humane instincts and fungus growing from their heads.

_I thought being immune was a good thing; I can help get the cure and save all these people. So why didn't Joel go through with it? Yeah, I guess we didn't talk about it enough, but that's because I thought he was willing to..._

I walk past one of the open rooms in the hallway; it looks like it once was a little girl's room of some sort. Stopping instantly I notice something odd about the room. Intrigued, I open the door a little bit; and nearly fall to the floor in shock.

A little girl, about nine or ten at the time with her corpse plastered against the wall while the fungus spreads out from her insides and continues to keep growing slowly from time to time is sitting in the corner of the room in front of her old toy horses. She has pictures all over the wall of her with friends and family, and pets as well.

_A little girl…? Stuck like this forever…_

"Shit…" I barely manage to speak; eventually I peel my eyes away from the little girl and slowly close the door behind me, standing there in the hallway with a really blank expression.

_Joel had to see this all of the time, no wonder he's always so quiet and mean. I'd go insane if I had to keep seeing things like that every day, and even being with Joel and traveling across the country for about a year now I've already experienced enough. But last winter just goes to show that if I don't have Joel with me, I may as well be better off like that little girl; or worse._

My eyes grow heavy from crying earlier, while I slowly walk inside the room I was in before with the window ledge, a comfy bed, and a book shelf full of books about horses, and such.

This was the same room me and Joel had that argument in when I ran away the last time. He kept telling me I'd be better off with Tommy than him, and secretly he wanted to get rid of me all along… A lot's changed since then, huh?

I smile a little, whoever's room this once was they loved animals to death, I wonder if they were sisters before the infection broke loose.

Entering the room, I head straight for the bookshelf, skimming my fingers along the line of books picking out a book about spiders, considering I've already read the animal one before. I've never really seen any spiders bigger than four inches. Joel told me there used to be tons of huge creepy ones they used to sell at pet stores, and he owned one when he was a kid. Why would they give a kid a huge spider, who does that?

I take a seat on the ledge, trying to forget all about the lie Joel told me on our way back to Tommy's. Curling up on the window ledge overlooking the countryside I rest my head against the window, flipping through the pictures and looking at all of the different spiders.

Several minutes pass by, it's still awfully quiet. I thought they'd be right behind me but they gave up it seems.

_I'll always be mad at Joel for lying to me; he probably killed the doctors and Marlene too..._

I continue reading some panels of the book, fascinated by these huge, weird invertebrates that once existed.

_They eat fungus huh? I guess we'll have to find some spiders then._

I smirk, glancing up at the corner of the room noticing two men awkwardly standing there, watching me quietly.

My heart jumps, they scared the shit out of me greatly.

_Holy shit… Where did they come from? Are they friendly…?_

The two men walk a little closer, their faces seem to be friendly but I met someone like that last winter… It didn't end well.

"What do you two want? Can't you see I'm trying to learn?" I wave the book a little while they stand there silently, not speaking a word.

_That's odd…_

I carefully close the book, leaving it on the cushion beside me while watching the two men slowly enter the room, with a smile on their face.

"Hey, my name's Dan and this is Elliot. And you are?" The bulkier one steps forward with a cheery expression and the other one just slumps back, avoiding my eye contact.

_Okay then…? _

"What the Hell do you guys want? I'm heading back now anyways; so if you could just- move a little, that'd be nice." Trying to not sound rude, I stand up from the comfy ledge, walking towards them in the doorway, but Dan or whatever his name was doesn't budge one bit.

"We were wondering if you had a group; good to know." He extends his hand out for a handshake; I just stare blankly at him for a long time.

_They're not going to let me go easily are they?_

"That's nice, I'm going now." I try to push past him, while he tenses up, not allowing me to leave the room.

"Dan you promised you would-" Elliot quietly protests, while he cuts him off with a threatening glare.

My heart panics again, what the fuck is happening here?

"Can I leave now?" I stand there impatiently. I don't have time for this it's getting dark; Joel's already going to give me an earful for running out this late.

"Sorry, I'm afraid that's out of the question; Ellie."

_What the fuck?_

"How the fuck do you know my name?" I shake off his arm that's now placed on my shoulder while he recoils back, looking a bit hurt.

"I watched you run from those two men I thought they hurt you, I killed off some of those damn infected that were close by so you wouldn't get hurt."

_This guy's a load of shit._

"Thanks? I guess…"

They don't budge at all; Dan's cheery smile begins to fade, while Elliot grows a little worried.

_W-what's going on…?_

Confused, I try to push through again; I don't have my knife so I can't kill them. Besides, they might have a gun.

"Hey, what the fuck. Let me pass-" I try to push myself through for the third time; Dan grabs my shoulders without giving me a chance to say anything.

_Alright, now I'm getting pissed off._

I shake off his hand easily, only to have him grip me even harder than before. Elliot looks down at the floor, not even going to consider doing anything.

Without thinking I reel my knee straight into his stomach, causing him to hunch over and let me go, kicking him with a shattering blow to the shin.

He yells in pain, before standing up again and smirking deviously.

_Fuck, he's tough…_

Usually that would knock any other person on the ground for at least a few more seconds, buying me time to escape. But he took it like a tank and just stood right back up again. What have I gotten myself into this time?

"Well, that wasn't nice-"

"Neither was fucking grabbing my shoulders." I shot back, growling almost.

His expression turns from sly, to anger in sheer seconds, grabbing my hair this time and instantly slamming me down on the hard floor.

_Fuck…_

The pain jolts through my entire body for a split second, and without a warning he starts slamming his steel toe boots into my ribs; repeatedly.

My ribs feel broken already, while my breath shortens into quick stabs of pain through my lungs. Taking the beating because I know he'll kill me otherwise. If only I remembered my knife…

"You don't leave unless I say so." He hollers, sending one final blow from his boot into the back of my head.

The pain shatters every single memory in my brain for a split second, my vision blurs and spits out two images of Dan grabbing me by the shoulders once again and throwing me down onto the bed that's across the room.

_I don't have time to deal with this shit..._

"W-what the fuck..." I cringe, holding my head while the black tunnel vision creeps up in my line of sight. He smirks slyly again, returning back to "normal."

_No, I can't pass out now..._

Elliot continues to look down at the floor; constantly keeping his eyes on the door as well. He clearly hates watching him do this, and judging by Elliot's behavior; I'm not the first.

"Well, well, well, guess I better invite my boys up here to have a little fun." He holds my flailing limbs down while crawling on top of me grinning sadistically.

_Okay, think Ellie. What can I use as a weapon?_

My eyes dart around the room, there's nothing in sight that I can use to kill him, if only I could free one of my hands.

"Elliot, get the rest." He turns to the other guy, who nods his head silently, looking at me with sad eyes while he heads out of the room quietly.

"Oh fuck you too!" I call after him; Dan cracks me in the back of the head again with his hand, causing my vision to go blurry again.

The ringing echoes even louder, this blow was way worse than the first one.

_Enough with hitting my head!_

My flailing is useless, but I continue to try to squirm free from his impossibly strong grip.

"Been awhile since I met a girl-"

"I wonder fucking why." I spit in his face, regaining enough of my senses back to know that he wants to rape me.

Flashbacks from when David tried to do the same thing, except I didn't let him get that far. This guy's way stronger than David ever was and refuses to even budge a little. This can't be good.

_Just my fucking luck, the second Joel shows up he'll drill me about this too._

He wipes his face with his sleeve, growling and grabbing at my legs that are kicking at him, leaning over me with his hands pinning down my wrists.

"You're a feisty one aren't you? I don't mind that..."

One of his fingers trail along the skin around my neck, touching my lips softly. I bite down on his finger, almost ripping it off while he recoils back in pain and shock, angrily striking me again with his hand.

"Let's try that again shall we?"

He avoids my lips this time, trailing his gross fingers down my chest, hesitating there a little before he dips down lower.

"Get – your – fucking – hands – off – of – me !" I squirm, and flail. If I can get just one fucking hand free this fucker would be done...

He snickers madly, undoing his belt first and unzipping his pants before he attempts to undo mine.

_For fuck's sake he really is going to try._

Losing my strength by the second, my arms grow weak, too sore to move. Knowing that he's won the fight he pushes himself right into my body, with his face inches away from mine.

"Once they all come up the stairs it'll be game over for you, missy."

"Yeah, okay." I try biting his nose off while he quickly dodges that one, smirking again while trying to get inside of me.

"So predictable." He sneers,

Footsteps can be silently heard upstairs, Dan smirks even more, knowing that his group will be here soon.

"Here they come." His grin grows even wider.

_Great, the rest of the fucking crew is here too._

"Get – off –" My lungs hurt too much to force out any more air.

He snickers wickedly.

"Why would I do that?-" He was cut off by the sound of someone grabbing his neck, and ripping him off of me with such force.

"What the fu-" He barely manages to speak, gasping for breath and choking under the pressure on his thoat.

"Because I'll shoot your fuckin' dick off if you touch my girl again."

_Joel...?_

Joel's voice is dark, and it silences Dan's once cocky attitude. Flinging him to the floor, Joel glances up at me; with his eyes piercing into my soul.

_I knew you'd come..._

"Oh thank god, Joel-" I breathe easily, relaxing a little on the bed while Joel forces him back down on the hard ground.

"I took care of your little friends downstairs too." He starts beating him with the handle of his gun until his face is a bloody mess, kneeling down and slamming his fist into his face with sheer force. While Dan just lays there; grinning.

_Joel..._

I sit up, watching Joel beat the shit out of this crazy motherfucker. Blood splatters everywhere with every blow Joel delivers, and Dan's grin just grows even wider.

More footsteps approach the room, causing me to look up.

_Tommy's here too? I thought he was mad at Joel…_

"Well, there's no stoppin' him now."

Tommy sneers, standing in the doorway. Leaning against the frame and watching Joel beat the shit out of the bandit. Not doing anything to control him at all.

He continues to keep beating him relentlessly, his face is completely soaked in blood; I can't even tell if he's alive anymore.

_I think he's had enough..._

All though Dan deserves this to happen to him, Joel will kill him if he doesn't stop.

I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, about to stop Joel from going any further, when suddenly;

"Don't you ever, _ever _fuckin' touch her again." Joel reaches for his gun at his side and fires a bullet straight into Dan's groin, Dan screams in agony while Joel looks over towards me; ignoring his screaming and the bloody mess he's left on the floor.

"Shit Joel-" I compliment him, completely forgetting about the whole "he doesn't deserve to die" argument I had in my head. I was cut off by his menacing angry hazel eyes.

"And you." He began, walking towards me very darkly. Still ignoring Dan's screaming in the background while Tommy shakes his hand doubtfully, glancing down at Dan and cringing a little.

_Uh oh..._

I brace myself, Dan got off easy with Joel's temper; and now it's my turn.

"Don't you ever fuckin' run away like that again Ellie!" He growls, stopping at the side of the bed, hesitating on what he should do to me for a punishment.

_So it's my fault all of this happened? If you didn't lie to me I wouldn't have run away._

"Yeah, okay. Like you're any better-" I roll my eyes at him, crossing my arms and matching his angry eyes with mine.

"You could have gotten killed! Or worse-" He began.

"Oh it's my fault you lied to me too I take it?" I shot back, while Tommy's had enough of Dan's annoying cries and fires another bullet at him in the head to silence his screaming before he alerts any unwanted visitors.

Joel hesitates, ignoring Tommy's actions and knowing that I was right.

_Yeah fucking got you now._

He takes a breath, calming down a little.

"I lied to protect you-"

"I'm the fucking cure Joel! If I need to die to save these people then I will-" I protest, it wasn't his decision; it was mine, and still is!

"Well I won't fuckin' allow it Ellie!-"

"Why Joel? By all fucking means, why?-"

I was cut off by Joel grabbing my face gently with both hands, and pressing his soft lips against mine. Silencing my words and leaving me speechless.

My heart stops. Picking up the pace again as it matches the speed of his.

_I thought Joel wanted me gone? And now this...?_

Tommy drops his jaw in the process, hesitating on whether or not he should say something about what's happening right now.

Joel breaks away, inches from my face; trying to hide his small smile.

"That's why. Now get your ass movin', there's Clickers in the basement that we "accidentally" released." He offers his hand to me, pulling me up to my feet off of the bed.

_Did Joel just...?_

Confused I follow him quickly towards the door, Tommy stops him with a really awkward look.

"She's fifteen Joel, what the fu-"

"Shut the Hell up Tommy; it's complicated." He walks past Tommy and starts to quietly head into the hallway; waiting for us near the edge of the stairs because of the noise of the Clickers downstairs on the main floor where we entered the building lets us know that it's not going to be easy to escape.

"You can say that again..." I mutter, walking past Tommy who sighs deeply, shaking his head. Shutting the door behind us, he quickly catches up; glancing down the stairs.

"Well, this'll be fun." He smirks, reloading his rifle and giving Joel the signal to head downstairs first.


	2. Chapter Two: Mystified

_Why did Joel do that...? Was it to shut me up or what?_

I stare at him intensely while following behind him as quiet as I can; with every step I take my broken ribs jab into me making me want to scream in pain. We sneak our way down the broken steps down to the first floor, Tommy shakes his head doubtfully at what he just witnessed, glancing at me from the corner of his eye.

_Tommy's not impressed that Joel kissed me; honestly I didn't see it coming either._

My heart still flutters around, it's weird; I've never had this feeling before. Especially around Joel.

I peer over the railing, noticing the rotting half decayed body behind the counter while kicking over one of the many bandits' corpses that litter the upstairs hallway and down here so I don't trip down the steps and break my neck; or worse, alert the Clickers.

My eyes tear up a little, the pain's becoming unbearable.

Elliot's body was in the hallway upstairs, I guess he didn't make it far until Joel got a hold of him. I feel bad in a way, he was quiet and seemed like he felt bad for what Dan always did; but in the end he didn't even try to stop him.

The clicking sound echo against the walls in this deteriorating building from the infected that are blinded by the huge fungus sprouting from their skull, leaving them sensitive to sound.

_I'm still mad that he lied to me, but I've been questioning Joel a lot lately; he'll do little tiny favors such as bringing me back some comic books, or finding me some sweets; something he'd never do before._

My mind wanders around at endless possibilities as to why Joel suddenly changed like that, only to be cut short by his voice interrupting my thoughts.

"Shit." He mutters, picking up a glass bottle and tossing it against the wall to create a distraction, while Tommy loads up his rifle, aiming silently at one of the Clickers that's by the doorway; where we need to go.

The bottle shatters into a hundred pieces, a few of the Clickers let out eat splitting screeches while they run about wildly towards where the bottle shattered.

_Like flies to a bug zapper..._

Joel sneers.

"Gotcha."

He fires off his shotgun; followed by Tommy's rifle cleaning up the remaining ones roaming around the main room.

They explode with that horrible fungus scent, and lots of decaying blood splatters everywhere in the process, enough to make Tommy cringe a little.

_That never gets old, those damn things are stupid._

I smirk.

"Still got it; old man." I roll my eyes playing around, while Joel ignores my comment. Tommy glances at me, flashing a quick smile.

"He's gotten a bit off, coulda aimed to the right a little and-" Tommy joins in, he must have bugged the shit out of him too when they were growing up.

"Okay, we get it." Joel cuts him off sounding a bit irritated, while Tommy backs off completely; not saying another word.

Confused, I just stand there. What the Hell was that about?

"Hey, why so grumpy?" I question him, defending Tommy while he glances around the corner and down the stairs into the basement, making sure there aren't any more Clickers down there before we carry on.

"Don't worry 'bout it." He simply states; avoiding my eyes.

_What's gotten into him? He was happy a second ago…_

Tommy seems alright I guess; I like his wife Maria better though. Mainly because he threatens me behind my back. Funny how he thinks I don't know. I've heard him a couple times. But then again, he did come with Joel to "rescue" me.

I smile, grinning at Joel while he glares at me a little, focusing back on scouting around the remaining rooms to make sure there's no stragglers left behind.

There's about a few fresh corpses down here without any of their blood anywhere. Most of them are facing down, and hopefully they don't become Runners…

_Seriously, what's his problem? He's usually nicer than this._

"Jesus Ellie, you didn't even bring a weapon with you?" He appears from behind the corner, walking slowly into the middle of the room, kicking one of the bodies out of the way before waiting for us to follow.

_Shit._

"Uhh, I don't think I did...?" I smirk a little, pretending to check my pockets, wincing in pain while he shakes his head and sighs. Tommy cracks another smile, I guess he loves the way I torture his older brother.

"It's not a damn joke Ellie. Did you not learn anythin' from being with me?" His hazel eyes darken, locking onto mine with a fearful, intense gaze.

_His eyes…_

My heart pounds lightly, every time he holds my gaze I can't help but feel giggly inside. That isn't like me at all; what the fuck am I thinking?

I pretend to think for a minute, smiling.

_My time to shine._

"I learned that you can be a dick sometimes, you snore in your sleep like a grizzly bear, and- oh! Yeah, you like to sing to yourself when you-"

"Okay that's enough." Joel cuts me off while Tommy dies of laughter again; Joel walks towards us with a distasteful expression.

"What? You asked." I look down, hiding my huge grin on my face while I pace around the room a little.

_He gets so defensive whenever I bring up that he wanted to be a singer. Yet all this time I've never actually heard him sing._

"Damn Joel, she got you figured out already." Tommy smirks, heading towards the door so we can leave this place and go back home to Maria and the other families that are there. They're probably cooking dinner right about now by the looks of it.

I know mostly everything that happened in Joel's life. Sarah, Tess, Marlene. I know all of the stories; or so I thought I did. I'm pretty sure he's the one who killed Marlene; he always avoids my eyes whenever I bring her up. She brought up Riley as well a long time ago, but they're both gone now so, I guess it doesn't matter. I never told Joel she kissed me though; that'll be fun when he finds out.

"Yeah, damn kid. This is why I don't talk much." He spits on the ground, taking one last look behind us to make sure there's none left, avoiding my eyes.

_Prick._

"Ellie are you feelin' alright?" Tommy questions the way I'm walking, holding my ribs and trying to breathe.

"I'm feeling wonderful, fucker broke my ribs…" Breathing is very difficult with shattered ribs.

Joel tenses up yet again, the anger returns in his hazel eyes.

_I think he's mad because of Dan…_

"We'll check you out at the safe zone; you can rest for a few days." Tommy smiles, knowing that I hate doing work.

"I wouldn't mind that one bit." I force out a tiny grin.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind that either. Kick me in the ribs too." Joel mutters sarcastically, standing in the middle of the room, not even cracking a smile.

_Bastard, it hurt like Hell._

Clearly he's making fun of me; I'm too tired to even say anything.

"Whatever, so did you accidentally set them free, or "accidentally" set them free?" I smugly reply, gazing at Joel expecting an answer.

"It wasn't planned at first, opened the door and realized we could use them as a getaway." Tommy laughs a tiny bit, while walking out of the Ranch and standing outside, waiting for us and keeping watch at the same time.

_Huh, how the Hell could you not hear the clicking from the basement? Then again, I didn't even know there were Clickers in the basement either…_

My eyes linger around the crippled room, old pictures are barely hanging on the walls, glass shards litter the hardwood flooring of this place, and it's a complete mess.

_I wonder if the rest of the owners made it out alive, that little girl should have died in the basement or somewhere dark and moist. That's what Joel taught me._

Joel's taught me many important things; he can just be an asshole sometimes. I learned how to swim a few months back because of him, mainly because he was pushed into the river by a few bandits wanting our supplies the last time we left Tommy's.

Without any warning; Joel suddenly turns around, walking towards me with a fierce gaze in his eye. Not speaking a word, or showing emotion at all.

I tense up a little; he was waiting for Tommy to leave so he could scold me like a little kid, wonderful.

_Shit, just my luck huh?_

My heart hurts, pounding furiously against my shattered ribs while he stops in front of me. Afraid of what he's going to do.

I prepare myself for the argument that's about to break out, knowing that he'll never talk to me for a few days afterwards. This wasn't the first time we fought.

"Don't leave me like that ever again." The words barely escape his lips as he pulls me into him, holding me closer to his warm body.

_My ribs…_

The cracking sound of my ribs catches his attention; he loosens his grip on me a little, smiling softly.

"W-what?"

Confused, I just let him continue. He won't let go, plus I don't think I want him to either.

_Did I hear what I think I just heard?_

He holds me tightly, watching out for my ribs and suffocating me in his thick musky scent, placing his lips against my ear.

"I said don't leave me, Ellie."

My heart explodes, I've never been so happy in my life to hear someone say that. What the Hell is happening to me?

Baffled, I stand there, slowly wrapping my arms around his waist, I haven't really hugged anyone like this before, so it's all new to me.

His lips curl into a smile, pulling away and grabbing my face without hesitation, kissing me gently once more.

_What's gotten into him?_

My heart thumps wildly, he smirks feeling it against his chest.

I don't question him that much; I've been traveling with him for over a year now. Safe to say I think I'm starting to feel the same way too by the looks of it…

He pulls away, not wanting to leave my presence one bit; but he has to before Tommy reenters the room questions him once again.

"I wasn't mad at you, I was mad at the fucker who tried to rape you." He kisses me again, this time with more fire in his soul, letting his fingers trail up my back.

_Honestly, I'd feel a lot safer if it was Joel taking my virginity… What the Hell am I thinking?! Stop it!_

My skin tingles underneath my clothes as his fingers glide up. Smirking, I return the kiss while he holds me closer to him placing his hands on my back as if he was going to pick me up and place me down on the counter behind us.

_Please do it._

Just as I'm getting a little excited, he stops. Letting go of me and turning around to face the entrance where Tommy's supposedly standing. Leaving me there with a weird tingly feeling inside my chest that numbs the aching pain my ribs are in.

_Why does he always do that? He treats me like a kid, but then he treats me like I'm something more when I least expect it._

"I don't get you at all Joel..." I speak up, walking towards the entrance so we can leave; and not have Tommy come waltzing back inside to check on us randomly.

"Get what?"

Our footsteps echo a little on the solid, cracked floor beneath us.

_Really?_

I roll my eyes at him, playfully pushing him aside a little. Wincing in pain afterwards.

He smiles.

"Your attitude stupid. One minute you push me away and treat me like a fucking kid, then the next it's- it's _this_."

He smirks, glancing at me by his side from the corner of his eye, holding my small hand in his.

_H-He's doing it again…._

My heart gets excited; I've grown used to having him around and I really would like to keep it that way.

"It's my secret, why the Hell would I reveal it to you?"

Grinning, he squeezes my hand, not wanting to let go but he does before we reach the entrance and Tommy could notice again.

And with that he walks outside, joining Tommy by his side while they both wait for me to come out.

_I'll never understand you, you prick._

"C'mon Ellie! It's getting late, Maria's got deer cookin'!" Tommy hollers, hopefully he doesn't alert anyone; or anything like the first time.

I smile to myself, looking around the crumbling building once more before walking outside into the fresh air, joining the two as we head back up the path through the dense forest towards the overgrown road towards the safe zone.

_I think I might be falling for him. Shit._


	3. Chapter Three: Desire

"Did you like the deer, Ellie?" Maria smiles cheerfully, knocking on the door a little before stepping inside of the room where Joel and I sleep. She sits down on the edge of his bed glancing around the room a little bit, noticing that I'm reading my comic and watching TV.

The room is lit by a few candles scattered across the tables. It reminds me of an old bunker in here, surrounded by metal frames and solid concrete. The windows are boarded up nice and tight so no one can peek in, Joel has the desk on his side of the room that's covered in scrap paper, bullets and gears for repairing our weapons, whereas I have the TV on a night stand. Now that Tommy's gotten the power up and running again after having problems with the generator we can watch movies again.

My heart tightens.

"Yeah, it's been awhile since I had deer." I glance up at the screen to catch the interesting parts of the film, while multitasking by reading some of the comic books Joel found for me a few days ago.

_The last time I had deer was when David captured me in the winter. At least I think it was deer; to this day I'm not quite sure what I ate. All I know is that I hope this winter will be nothing like last winter's._

It was brutal; Joel got impaled and was critically injured for the longest time imaginable. He has an ugly scar from it too. Since there were only two of us I sure as Hell wasn't giving up on him so I was forced to go out with Callus and find food for the three of us. It was hard, but I couldn't let him die.

She smiles softly once again; looking down at her feet and hesitating immensely, unsure if she should speak up or keep quiet about what's on her mind.

_I wonder what's been eating away at her lately. She seems more distant from me which is a first, she was the only person I even liked when we arrived here._

The flames flicker on the candles, disorientating our shadows across the walls and threatening to blow out and leave the two of us in the darkness. The room grows a little colder; it usually does that at night but for some reason it feels like it's been getting colder lately.

Silence between the both of us lingers in the frigid air, nothing but the volume on the TV and the muffled sound of voices from the next room over can be heard. I turn another page of my comic book, glancing up at the TV screen once again to watch the interesting parts. Wrapping myself up in the thick blanket I have lying around while wincing in pain from moving my aching ribs around.

"You know, Joel's been acting different lately, and try not to move so much with broken ribs, honey." She began, trying to hold my eye contact but she continues to look down.

My heart throbs wildly. Just hearing his name alone makes it beat fast.

_Huh? He's still the same as ever, right?_

Confused, I sit up, moving the comic aside and looking at her oddly.

"What do you mean weird? And, I'll try."

"Well, he just seems like he needs to loosen up a bit, he's cracking down hard on Tommy lately and I'm a bit worried." She forces out a small smile, meeting my eyes once more while glancing at the door in case one of them shows up while we talk.

_She has a good point…_

Joel's been glaring at him since we got back and they're always off talking in private when then usually leads to Maria breaking them up; or me. After dinner they left to go on a short walk so they could "sort things out." So far it's been an hour and I'm kinda worried that Joel killed him and tossed him in a ditch somewhere.

"He gets like that sometimes." I assure her, remembering how he was when Tess gave up her life to save the two of us in the beginning.

I didn't know Tess that long, but she believed me way before Joel did. If it wasn't for her convincing him that it was true I don't think he'd ever like me enough to keep me safe.

She gazes off to the side for a second.

"I suppose... You busy tomorrow? I could use some help training the younger horses." She offers, meeting my eyes with a smile and knowing my one weakness; animals.

I can't contain my excitement; and Maria can tell. My heart pounds even faster while a huge grin spreads across my face, ignoring the TV and my comic book.

"I'd love to, how early are we getting up?"

She laughs, knowing that would get my attention.

"Pretty early, I outta let you sleep. The boys should be back later on tonight. I hope they didn't go too far." She gets up off of Joel's bed, brushing past the candle that flickers intensely once more.

Tommy and Maria have a few farm animals, horses being one of them since we use them to travel from time to time. There are also cows, pigs and few chickens running around. It honestly feels like we've stepped back in time; or so Joel says. I wouldn't know anything about life before this shit started flying around; I learn most of it from Joel.

"Oh, and Ellie one more thing." She began, placing her hand on the open door, looking over her shoulder straight into my eyes.

I tense up a little, why is she looking at me like that?

"Yeah?" Curiously I question her, feeling a little nervous.

"Say out of trouble; okay?" She smiles, heading out of the door and shutting it behind her before I could even say anything.

_Okay then?_

"Depends." I mutter to myself, laying back down on the comfy bed and opening my comic book up again; continuing where I left off.

What kind of trouble, running away again trouble or just the classic "stay out of trouble. You know what I mean so I'm not going to classify what kind of trouble." Trouble? Jeez. She can be confusing at times.

The room is still lit by a few candles that are by the boarded up window sitting neatly on top of a desk. Joel has papers sprawled out everywhere around it as well; it's a mess, so I'm not intrigued by it to go snooping through.

_It's probably just some stupid letter he's writing. I've seen him just sit down and write without asking why, usually I'm a one to look at what he's saying but, I can guarantee that if he caught me I'd be fucked._

Whatever, I flip another page as the flame flickers in the room. It's been several minutes since Maria stopped in; I hope they're alright.

My ribs still ache, Maria bandaged me up with some gauze and handed me some morphine and a needle for when the pain gets worse. She said it won't heal for a couple weeks; lucky me.

It's extremely quiet and completely dead silent, the crickets chirp a tiny bit outside the concrete building while the steady humming noise of the generator next door is played all throughout the night.

_I should go to sleep soon so that way I don't wake up agitated again._

Just as I'm about to get up to blow out the candles; the door opens once again, Joel walks through slamming the door behind him and sitting at the desk angrily. Not even saying a word to me at all.

_Shit, what happened to him?_

"You okay?" I question him, while he curses under his breath; resting his head against the table, still ignoring me purposely.

_Okay then, I only asked…_

"Not now Ellie." He snaps, rummaging through the papers on his desk while holding a pencil. His eyes are fixated on the piece of paper while he deeply breathes in and out with a vengeance almost.

_Wow. Rude much._

Hesitating, I sit there carefully; watching his body language so I don't get my ass handed to me as he begins to write paragraphs on the paper.

The candle beside him flickers violently as he speeds along, mumbling and cursing under his breath. While the rest of the room silently slinks away as if it's terrified of him.

_Should I even try to talk to him still?_

My heart hurts knowing that he's in pain, the least I can do is try, right?

I push the comic book away once again, slowly getting off the bed and walking towards him. He glances over his shoulder looking right at me with a dark, menacing glare.

_Shit…_

I freeze instantly, not daring to take another step closer.

"Go to sleep, I'll sleep tonight too, eventually..." He growls once again, causing me to back off a little with a hint of fear.

_He usually gets like this, this isn't the first time; nor will it be the last._

"Okay... What happened to you...?" I mutter under my breath, turning around and heading back to my bed on the opposite wall.

"Nothing Ellie. Just go to sleep, its late." He drops his pencil beside him on the desk, deeply sighing and gazing into the flame of the candlestick that's being held up by the candle holder on top of his desk. Clearly something happened.

_Okay... Shit._

I sigh; I don't want to get yelled at right now. I crawl back onto my bed and placing the comic book down on the end table beside me, grabbing my thick blanket and wrapping my body up tightly in it to keep warm.

_Seriously, did Tommy say something to him or what? Why's he acting like this now?_

My heart silently beats against my broken ribs, causing me enough pain to almost cry.

_Maria did bring me morphine, but I don't want to use it all. We don't have that much anymore so I think I'll save it…_

I lay there looking up at the cracked ceiling, the flame from the candles flickers wildly while Joel scribbles more letters onto the paper angrily.

_I'm sure he'll tell me tomorrow._

I try closing my eyes, but the room's lit up enough that the orange fades through my eyelids; making it nearly impossible to sleep.

_I should at least try..._

Rolling over, I pull my blankets up over my head and curl up in the opposite direction of the light. Trying to get some form of darkness so I can at least sleep for a couple hours while Joel writes away for some strange reason.

_I'll ask him tomorrow if he doesn't say anything... Better yet; I'll just read it later._

I smile, the thought of simply bugging him in the smallest ways possible pleases me greatly. I just love it when he's angry it's cute and adorable. He thinks he can hurt me but I know he won't.

I feel myself slowly drifting off to sleep, ignoring the stabbing pain in my ribs while vivid images start projecting through my mind about events that happened today.

A couple hours pass back quickly; subconsciously I can pick up on movement around my body which is odd.

"Ellie...?" I hear a soft whisper in the dead of the night, groggily opening my eyes I can make out Joel standing in front of me standing by the side of my bed. With a sigh of relief he touches my face with his hand, brushing back the loose strands from my hair behind my ear.

My heart explodes with happiness, pounding lightly while sneers a tiny bit, noticing my heart rate.

_What does he want all of a sudden, wasn't he just angry and pissed off?_

"Hey?" I yawn, stretching my arms in the air while he smiles softly, pulling his hand away from my face.

_Why's he smiling? What's he doing here anyways, his bed's over there._

"About what happened at the Ranch..." He began, sitting down beside me on the bed, looking into my eyes.

"What part?" I smugly reply, considering a lot happened. From finding out he lied to me, almost being raped, and to Joel kissing me I'd say enough surprises happened today to last me a good year.

He sighs deeply, not an angry sigh; just a normal one, while pulling back the blanket I have on top of me slowly.

_What are you doing...?_

Trying to control my breathing, Joel's grin grows even wider. Showing me that I can't hide it at all.

"When Tommy left, I couldn't keep my hands off of you."

That sentence alone sends shivers down my spine, a faint smile spreads across my face and I guess he noticed it as well.

"What about it?"

Before I could say any more; Joel's fingers touch the side of my face again, his face inches away from mine while he trails his fingers gently down my neck.

"I still can't."

He pulls the blankets down a little further, gently leaning over me with my body between his knees that are resting on the bed. He starts kissing my lips with a loving touch; repeatedly. With each kiss he gives he gets a little more aggressive, letting his hands touch my body wherever he pleases while his lips trail down my neck.

My heart picks up again, pounding harshly against my chest and my sore ribs; I don't even care at this point about my ribs. They'll start to get better tomorrow.

_W-what's going on here? Is this a dream...?_

"Joel...?" I breathe, questioning his intentions a little while he silences me once more with his lips against mine.

"What?" The words barely escape his lips. He's clearly enjoying this too by the looks of it.

Before I could even answer, he pulls away sneering; he knows exactly what. His hands touch my sides gently watching out for my ribs, slowly lifting up my shirt and exposing my skin to the cold air around us.

_I feel different from when Dan tried to force himself on top of me, time seems to just slow down so I can enjoy this moment with Joel. I don't think he sees me as his daughter anymore…_

"You've changed." I barely manage to speak, he snickers a bit; pulling my shirt over my head and tossing it to the floor.

The candles flicker again from the sudden burst of air from throwing my shirt over, illuminating our shadows across the wall.

"So have you."

His lips attack mine once more, keeping me busy while his hands slip lower, unbuttoning my red pajama pants and slowly pulling them off without any hesitation.

_This is a dream, I swear it is… _

My heart pounds faster and faster as he breaks away from my lips, grinning wildly while I lay there looking up at him with curious eyes.

"Well, you're halfway there; you might as well continue." I tease him, letting him know that I caught on and he didn't distract me well enough while he undressed me.

He snickers again.

"I planned on it anyways." He smiles, pushing himself closer to me and taking control.

_This is a dream. He went to bed... I just know it._

Before we can even get anywhere, the door opens to this room suddenly.

_Fuck._

"What the fuck Joel-" Tommy hollers a little, Joel tenses up again; looking over his shoulder at his younger brother who's standing in front of the doorway with a shocked expression on his face and a couple other men standing behind him.

"Shit.." I mutter under my breath, while Joel returns his gaze to me.

He smiles softly, kissing my lips still, before pulling away.

"Couldn't let me start, huh?" Joel mutters to himself, kissing my lips softly once more before he gets off of me and zippers his pants back up again, tossing me my clothes from on the floor while Tommy just holds a paralyzing gaze with him.

_This is really awkward…_

"I'm not even goin' to fuckin' ask what the Hell you were tryin' to do with her."

"Yeah, don't." Joel agrees, flashing me a soft smile while I return it back to him, getting dressed quickly as I can.

"Well don't take your sweet ass time; a group of bandits broke into the cattle section and began burnin' the damn place down."

_Huh?_

Joel sighs again, placing his head in his hand and walking around the room towards the door.

"Let's fuckin' move then."

Tommy looks over at me with a stern gaze, before peeling his eyes off of me and focusing on his brother.

_Why's he acting like this? I mean yeah, his older brother tried mounting a young girl… But still, why did he show up here last?_

"Pack the shit you need, they killed half of my men and they're comin' straight for you and Ellie, Joel."

**_A/N - I am so sorry about the long wait guys; I have to put this one on hold for a bit to finish up my other series, plus School just started up again and I'm in grade 12... So I have no idea when I will have free time; I really wish I could continue finishing this series right now for all you c: but the people waiting on Burning Daylight have waited longer . sorry for the sudden cliff hanger! I'm not abandoning this story. just putting it on hold for a little bit :) _**


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